Tooth Decay
Tooth decay is the most common dental disease in the UK — and the most preventable. Caught early it can often be arrested without a drill; left alone it reaches the nerve and becomes painful and expensive.
Ready to book your appointment?
Send us your details and we'll be in touch — usually within one working day.
Decay is a process, not an event.
Acid produced by plaque bacteria dissolves minerals out of enamel every time you eat or drink something sugary. Between meals, saliva puts those minerals back. Decay happens when the attacks outnumber the repairs.
That means the earliest stage — a chalky white spot — can genuinely be reversed with fluoride and a change in snacking pattern. Once a hole forms, it needs a filling.
Decay is silent until it isn't.
The signs vary, but most people notice one or more of these:
- 01Sensitivity to sweet, hot or cold
- 02A visible dark spot or hole
- 03Food consistently packing between two teeth
- 04Rough or catching edges on the tongue
- 05Ache when biting down
- 06Bad taste from a decayed tooth
Where it comes from.
The most common culprits:
Don't wait it out.
Speak to your our practice dentist if you're experiencing any of the following — book an appointment as soon as you can:
- —You can see a dark mark or hole in a tooth.
- —Sweet or cold triggers a sharp twinge.
- —Food keeps getting stuck in the same spot.
- —It's been more than a year since your last X-rays.
In discomfort right now?
Pain that lingers after cold, or wakes you at night, usually means the decay has reached the nerve — call us rather than waiting for your next check-up.
A plan, not a quick fix.
We diagnose with an examination and bitewing X-rays, treat early lesions with fluoride and sealants, and restore established cavities with tooth-coloured fillings the same day where possible.
